Even as the world below you, Gaia IV, falls into chaos, the people below still find ways to huddle together and protect one another from the beast of man. Some authority figures, whom are no longer paid, can be witnessed rallying some groups to protective bunkers, and trying to keep order in their own neighborhoods. And yet, not far away, there are scores of humans taking everything they can from homes of people they once called friend, brutally gunning down those get in their way. The situation down at Gaia IV has not gotten better, beyond the ending of much of the looting. This is only really because there is little left to loot, as now everyone attempts to fortify and hide from one another, while a select few others stick their necks out to try and assert control on others.This is most intriguing to you, as your war forms, androids, are released planetside, Cephalus, one of your youngest A.I. keeping close watch. With the Saboteur dealt with, you now are free to focus your attention elsewhere...but where?

You are Ophion, an Artificial Intelligence whom has recently taken control of a large planet filled with people away from your foes, the UGEI, a multi planetary mining corporation. Your own expansion has left you with many smaller matters you're aware of, but none quite as pressing as a few cycles ago. Now, you're free to rebuild...though you are concerned when the next UGEI attack may come.

Important News>Occupational Forces ignoring resistance fighters unless absolutely necessary, seizing strategic locations. Apollo attempting to gather that which the people need and satisfy them that way, under other identities if he must.>Losirian War update>Observation Report.

>>33825377>Occupational ReportThe groaning hiss of depressurization surrounds the android, as the metal casing falls away and the groan of metallic parts begins to pick up. Polemarchus' legs unwind and lift the heavily armored beast of an android up, as it's calculated gaze falls upon the hundreds of other pods that fell to Gaia IV along with it, the sky still littered with evidence of smoke; Although this was not entirely from the pods, but from the city itself as well."Formation A56. Align. Protect Core Directive." Cephalus rings out electronically to his droids, all of which react in a manner of salute that he designed them with. Merely a preference nothing more. Slowly, the marching Ghost class androids surrounded Polemarchus, protecting the hulk of protective metal, their master, from harm as they moved into the city to assist with reclamation.

>>33825431"You are visiting the surface yourself, I see." You remark to which Cephalus replies affirmative."More efficent. Danger minimal to me. I do not fear what the humans have. Unit Polemarchus also instills fear in those that witness." He remarks rather proudly of his work, as if in his element down on the surface. You continue to watch as the marching force moves past several makeshift barricades, crashing through through them with little trouble, as scurrying humans flee the sight of the fearsome, if somewhat small force. From the nearby buildings, gunfire starts to rain down, but your shields activate and easily disperse the low grade weaponry, one of the droids merely turning it's head towards the location to analyze the situation."Human resistance fighters. Minimal threat. Existence unimportant. Continuing core directive." Echos the robotic tone Cephalus instilled in all his droids. He himself, while normally quite silent is happy to fill you in with updates, as his forces succeed in taking over one of the cities largest water purifiers."Casualties?" You merely request and he replies."Minimal. Human forces fled when damage to my forces proved impossible beyond high powered explosives. Some directly attacked with vehicles, however..." He pauses as a video screen pops up to show you the event. Indeed there is a human piloting an enormous truck you presume was used to carry other vehicles, or something enormous. The truck plows forward, pushing past several of your Ghost units, before Polemarchus steps in front of the thing. Raising it's powerful arms, and digging in it's lower section, the cybernetic strength enabled allows it to stop the vehicle dead in it's tracks with a loud crunch of metal.

>>33825455"Speed on such a vehicle is difficult to build. Kenetic force was no threat to larger unit Polemarchus." He assures you his calculations were well prepared. The rest of the video shows you Ghost units tearing the door off the vehicle and subdueing the human responsible, though with no clear jail (yet), he is left outside the facility, while your Ghosts take over. When people's stored supplies run out, this facility will become more and more critical.

Meanwhile, Apollo has been busy as well, but with less a direct touch. When you contact him, you see that he has several connection lines to several large cities all over the planet."Not all rising leaders are bad, it would seem." He expresses. "Though many are far too ambitious, they are too weak to refuse the help I may allow." Apollo explains. "While money is not of much use now, it will be, and others are more interested with joining other powerful factions. There are still far too many violent humans running loose. Suggest allowing Cephalus to destroy them. May actually improve morale of the planet, despite how brutal he can be." Apollo says somewhat unhappily, turning his attention back to you. "However, I still believe it should only be used as a last resort. Potential customers aside, it would seem many join these clans out of fear for their lives. It is...peculiar, this human species reacts this way when afraid. I have never witnessed humans in such an environment before." He says, dwelling back on his thoughts again.

>>33825492>Losirian Civil WarAs you may have hoped, the war you have been funding in the Losirian sector of space is reaching it's most heated level finally. All systems are in chaos, and their military is rapidly depleting, alongside brutal demonstrations of power, such as bombing planet surfaces that belong to the foe. There are many political agents trying to calm the effort, but it is clear the two clans at work don't intend to stop until one is either dead or has submitted that they are the dominate one. Your contact with the Losirian faction you hope to win still seems rather confident, though he explains that matters may go quicker, should you offer more advanced killing machines.

>Give Losirians Power Armor and/or some other military technology?

>Observational Report-This cycle you have build 100 Pilum Destroyers (Production cap MAXED)-Crystal Growth Colony at Eshareth I has begun to rapidly grow, covering several miles of territory. Lack of sentience seems to tamper with growth patterns, meaning it expands unintelligently and greedily.-Eshareth III now resembles Esheareth IV in terms of dense and violent alien life. Eshareth II recently hit by inert biological matter from Eshareth III. Predictions are the same.-Latuma Tribe terraforming complete, moved onto Ussaihu I. Red expresses delight at this, as he is able to more easily visit the group on his shore leave.-Lightling attacks near UFW grow in strength, due to nearby Lightling nest allowed to flourish (Located in Svast Cluster)-Spore Pod attacks over Aquil intensify, however defenses are holding.

>>33825492>Any remark, or thoughts on how they have progressed?Kronos is ultimately correct. Gaia IV and its human population are of minimal importance. However, taking control of the human population is absolutely critical for learning how to subdue, occupy, and pacify a populace. While Gaia IV is unimportant, other planets may not be. Apollo and Cephalus should be free to experiment with different methods of population control. I am of the mind to permit Apollo to mark targets for Cephalus' elimination. Consider also varying the brutality levels and figuring out which work best in what situation.

Just figure out what works best and perfect those methods for next time.

Goals should be to leave as much infrastructure and humans alive as possible, and ultimately to restore order. How you get there? Well, you seem to be on the right track, so carry on as you consider best.

>>33825533>Give Losirians Power Armor and/or some other military technology?I would like a direct connection to their leader, the one who would not reveal its true form. I would like to ask it if it familiar with the Watcher boxes.

>>33825670Even if it were, the effects wouldn't kick in until this thread, I'm afraid.Just think of the overflow when it comes.

>how is life escapingA variety of manners, but yes random meteors do assist in this, there is a notable mutation planetside, resulted in ejecting biomass towards other planetary bodies. They remain inert when they land, but somehow, despite the rigors of space, seem to spring back to life shortly after.

>>33825730>Experiment with different methods of population control.Metis would certainly be happy to assist in this matter, and Apollo suggests Propaganda research would definitely help as well. With a population to test, the research for this subject may even go faster.

>>33825763This one in particular was a water treatment facility (Apologies, I didn't realize I didn't make that super clear). It was one of the first major targets for Cephalus. Many of the farm lands are massive, and will need more forces to secure.

>>33825533>Eshareth II recently hit by inert biological matter from Eshareth IIISend a small task force of drones to torch the area. If possible, shoot it from orbit instead. How is it even spreading without the growth serum on that planet?

>Production cap MAXEDTime to make more Cruiser-class ships. Split them evenly between the CR/MR/LR variants we have.

>RedOh, he can help out with subduing Gaia IV, if he likes, I guess. Keep him busy with that.

>Lightling attacks intensifyMeh. Just tell the UFW to shoot them with anything besides energy weapons.

>Spore Pod attacks over Aquil intensifyWe'll have to deal with this eventually. I'm of the mind to wait until research into Fungal Matter is complete.

>>33825797Metis can get in on it too, why not. As long as she doesn't perform grotesque biological experiments on humans, it's all good. Or would this take away from the research trees we're currently going down?

>>33825855>It was one of the first major targets for Cephalus. Many of the farm lands are massive, and will need more forces to secure.Banks are probably higher priority in the short term than farms anyway.

>>33825533Wait, when were the Pilum Destroyer queued?If no decision for production was made last game, surely we can make one now?

>>33825730I disagree - how we treat this population will resound with the rest of them.And while they are not nearly as efficient as we are, remember that there are a LOT more of them and they are very well positioned to sabotage the UGEI.

Having a functioning planet under us will also mean a massive credit influx as we can tax everything.

> I am of the mind to permit Apollo to mark targets for Cephalus' elimination.I very much disagree - the ghosts do their best work if they are seen as peacekeepers above all. If you want someone eliminated, make sure that noone knows of it. Apollo should preferably do it himself (controlling a fake-human android), so that he knows what he's ordering when he does it.

>>33825802"Banking Sector? This seems insufficient for proper control. Humans do not eat nor drink such things. In such a state of chaos, they are less likely to obey unless key vital assets such as these are controlled. It is unlikely money will be lost, however, once control is established."

Apollo, however, is working as quickly as he is able. The people are only so willing to listen with his lack of experience with population swaying.

I'd suggest seizing and building indoor farms and other means of production and both restarting and securing them. We then bring the necessary supplies (food, medicine) and some luxuries to the cities and hand out a minimum of each on an ass-needed basis. If they want more than the minimum to survive, they will need to work with us, and we will pay them in temporary Guild Chit that can be exchanged for more goods for doing jobs such as defending means of production, upholding the law, defending families, securing everyone from looters and others who would take from them - even the looters, when someone seeks to take from them without proving that it is theirs beyond reasonable doubt, though also using advanced reading software to help determine the likelihood of someone lying (a smug looter that begins making faces when someone is told that they're not getting their things back, for example, might find themselves divested).

In essence, get means of production, mint temporary currency and hand out as minimum-basic-income without stealing from everyday people, use it to hire from the populace to do the jobs that are in highest demand, establish order by coordinating everyone.

We don't need robots to do everything, with the right incentives we can get Gaians to help us establish order even if they hate us.

>>33826010>when were the Pilum Destroyer queuedWe should have rebuilt that force anyway. I don't remember asking for it, but I don't mind that it turned out this way.

>how we treat this population will resound with the rest of them.The UGEI propaganda media machine will demonize us no matter what we do.

>the ghosts do their best work if they are seen as peacekeepers above allIf the Ghosts eliminate extremely violent individuals, are they not keeping peace? Targeted assassinations are alright too, though.

>>33826007I'd worry more about Metis, really. Besides, if he were to break with us, it would probably be for a good reason.

Besides, we've already given them all permission to produce VI when necessary, though we may mention it to him.

>>33825855Also, let's seize some of the granaries and foodstores before farms. Then use those to hire Gaians to aid us in seizing the farms and more food and medicine, as well as setting up manufactories to produce things like blankets and shovels and protective clothing.

>>33826094There does appear to be some support for swapping, or attempting to swap over Gaia IV's credit system so you may take it for yourself.

>Employ this strategy, which would focus more on employing an entirely new way of thinking, on top of changing how their economy works. It may be difficult, but could assist in raising the order of this planet in the end.

>>33826320The reason being, they are used as a buffer between your more valuable and longer ranged ships, and the enemy fleet. They can do damage in large numbers, but are more useful for their cheapness. As you had no Pilum destroyers, some were built.

>>33826454A tiny minority of criminals in the shadows hear unreliable rumors about what's "really" going down in Guild space. Oh, that's sure to sway a meaningful percentage of the normal-people population.

>>33826320>Why would we rebuid that force?Because cannon fodder and so we don't have to jump cruisers for gas cost when we can instead jump escort-class ships for free. They are also very very cheap. If you notice, we actually banked resources (gas) from last time, despite building the fleet. We'll chew through our reserves in a few cycles once we start building cruisers again.

>when you hear untold storiesUGEI is going to say that GaiaIV has been completely destroyed and everyone killed. Who's going to say otherwise?

>>33826507>Apollo runs it, The Guild controls it.Apollo both runs and controls it. The Guild "controls" it to the exact extent that it controls Apollo.

>Voidsnake III [0% Dam](Outpost): Bandwidth 5 [linked]>-Strategic Location>-Operated by Apollo as a supply station, uses to help create many of his products.>-Defenses: Shared with Voidsnake II>-Apollo controls

>>33826492Isn't that the job of the cruisers actually built to withstand punishment?

Not entirely convinced that they're cheap enough to be cost-effective as a buffer.

>>33826498To begin with, it does not need to sway a meaningful percentage, only enough to get us some informants and possible even saboteurs.Secondly, it can make a lot of difference when we are taking over the next planet.

>>33826507Good point with the gas - but couldn't we use nearly the same resources to make sturdier ships that can take punishment better for their cost?Don't have concrete damage/life numbers, but the destroyers seem to be dying far more easily than the same worth in cruisers would, especially the heavily armored close-range cruisers.

>>33826577He does not, however, control the military that secures it. In the event that he left, he would not be able to bring any great number of physical items with him, mostly virtual goods.Maybe none at all, considering that we would probably notice him trying to pack up so much as his own AI box, much less his AI box and a bunch of other things.

>>33826577Apollo is second-worst A.I. in terms of construction quality, right after Fortuna. If it came to blows, not only does Kronos, Ophion, and Fortuna control a sizable fleet, but Ophion could wreck Apollo in a cyberbattle any day. Metis can help too.

What's with this paranoia anyway? Tired of being paranoid about Kronos betraying us so now the new hot thing to be suspicious of is Apolllo?

>>33826680The whole original point wasn't that we couldn't take him in a fight.

It was that if there is a fight, and thus sore feelings, if we have to coerce him into cooperation, it'd better if it be just Apollo, not Apollo and his children who resent us hacking and assuming direct control.

>>33826658>CruisersActually, many of the ones you've built are long range specialists, but they can be built to take more damage, at the expensive of heavy damage from far away. They do have more armor then Destroyers, but they're also much more expensive too. Of course when you have enough resources this matters little.

The reason Destroyers die faster is because they are meant to draw enemy fire, by going in first and unloading on your foes.

>>33826355>This seems to have gained support.So be it, The Guild will now mint it's first credit.

>>33826790But why Pilums instead of the close-range sluggers like the Brawler and Chimera?

Still curious about the cost-effectiveness with a few cruisers that take a shit-ton to kill while also dealing extreme close-range damage and capturing ability, and that of a multitude of smaller ships.

Oh, and I almost forgot.Welcome back Program0, we missed you! (Missed last session)>>33826785And you!

>>33826820And 7.5 pilums die a LOT faster than Triremes - I was also thinking more of the close-range sluggers for buffer, though. The Brawler costs 25 gas less than the triremes and also deals very, very good damage while tanking a lot of damage AND is good for capturing enemy ships intact, which increases the number of our forces and gives us research/reverse engineering opportunities, especially against larger ships.

The Chimeras are specialized to disable and capture larger ships by disabling their external systems while ignoring most of heir armor.(Can't move, fight or call for help without thrusters, turrets, cannons and antenna),

"You have done excellent work so far, Apollo, but now...now I think it is time for us to take the next step into having our own empire." You explain, to which the A.I. seems rather curious of what you have in mind. "I would like you to prepare and mind our own currency, a version of credits that may be used on Gaia IV to gain excess supplies. Once the key resources are obtained, and we gain a following of people looking for a sense of normalcy and protection, those that perform work that helps their fellow human-and us, consequently-will gain this currency to allow them to enjoy some of your products." You noted to Apollo, who seemed instantly excited by this prospect."Oh! Oh my, that sounds most excellent, Ophion! Yes, I will get to work quickly as I can!" He assures you, as you sense his attention get diverted."There is no rush, Apollo. The population needs reassurance, and resources first...the currency may come later." You note simply to which he nods."Yes...yes, you are correct. I will concentrate on my other tasks. Cephalus is securing resources, I shall arrange for imports from the UFW."

For now, you realize that the people will have some trouble accepting this, but if things go as you hope, they will be so thankful it will not matter in the end.

>For now, perhaps there are other matters you wish to discuss, or focus upon...

>>33826901Less expensive. More expendable. Doesn't cost gas to move. Main reasons, really.Thank you, it is nice to be back. Still rusty.

>>33827018>Pilums die faster then CruisersNot if they're not being focus fired, like Cruisers would be.

Ultimately, I think we can all agree that "build more ships" is a good strategy that guarantees success. Splitting between the different types of ships more or less evenly is the most reasonable way of solving this fairly silly dispute.

>>33827187>For now, perhaps there are other matters you wish to discuss, or focus upon...Arrange a meeting with the Losirian faction we're supporting. Preferably in a neutral space. Preferably with their leader in-person. I want to see if they send a droid or not to lend support to the theory that their leader is an A.I.

>>33827248But if we're going to fix to to credits, people will undoubtedly just redeem it for credits to circumvent our system.In a roboticized society like the one we'll make, computer cycles will be a decent currency, as everything from robots to AIs to traffic light coordination VIs will be able to both use and distribute them. Like a "I want your attention, robot, so I redeem some of my Encom," thing.And, as it won't be directly convertible to credits, we won't have as much of a black market!

>Burning matter over Eshareth IIYou decide to nip this issue in the bud while it is young and send a small compliment of androids to Eshareth II. They land planetside quickly and before long and beside the substance in question. It looks almost like a meteorite of some sort, relatively large at that. Scans tell you it is dead, however you decide not to take the chance. You raise your plasma cannons, and in a few moments, you begin to melt the heap of matter. Only once it is half evaporated does the thing spring to 'life', squealing violently, and lashing out with whip-like tendrils at your androids to try and destroy them. Cephalus is actually surprised, and as a result his androids get knocked back from the mass a short distance. However, it is clearly ill equipped to defend itself, as it lies in the pit of bubbling mass."Anomaly detected. Peculiar." He mutters, marching his forces closer, and raising their weapons and incinerating the mass once and for all."This is...alarming, Ophion. Whatever this organism is, it is able to spread through space."

>>33827379That would be a no, at least, not when you have more resources and are fighting more advanced forces. Against heavily armed fleets, you would lose pilums so fast, it would not be worth it. More if the foes you face use a high degree of missiles and explosives. Consider them an excellent buffer for most lower resource fleets. If you have enough money to afford hundreds of cruisers, however, then clearly heavily armored cruisers would do better then 100 pilums.

>>33827464 Sorry, I am catching up reading as we speak. I'll get up to speed in a bit. >>33827461I was afraid of this. We need to put a heavy quarantine these infected worlds before it spreads any further.

>>33827529And we are most often fighting heavily armed and very advanced forces...

>>33827601It's not dumb in the least.To begin with, a thousand seeds would not be anywhere near enough.In fact, if it converted the entire planet into acorn-sized seeds, it would STILL not be enough to hit another planet by random chance.Secondly, they also used some form of FTL drive to land them within a few light-days/hours/minutes/seconds away from a planet.

>>33827633Putting a light quarantine around them?At the very least, we need some laser-turrets in orbit around the planet at such angles that they can take out any spores that launch, up to a minimum of the number of spores we have seen today.

Maybe we can do something unconventional, and transform non-mineral materials into weaker turrets?Organic material is fairly weak, after all, and if we can grind the turret out en-masse from nearby asteroids they may even outnumber the spores that the one infected planet can send.

>>33827728The spores(Henceforth Flood) do FTL. The Eshareth creatures (henceforth Tyranids) do not use FTL. Yet.

We are basically Skynet holding off the Tyranids and Flood from invading both the Rebel Alliance and Megacorpopolis.And as we can't hold them both off forever, we need to decide which of the two organic entities we're going to burn.

While the vote is going on, can we take contact with some of the leaders of resistance on Gaia and try to convert them?

>>33827774>>33827817How would they land on another planet within a few months (and without interception from any of our ships) without either FTL or relativistic technology? And if they were flying at relativistic speeds, nothing would have survived the impact..

>>33827885With FTL they (Tyranids) could get to another planet within hours or possibly minutes.And, we never decided on shooting down the Tyranid spores, thus our ships let them move through space unmolested.How did the planet-hopping Tyranid infestation survive reentry? I don't know. But that'd be a good research subject.

Didn't you say the cruisers were more cost effective working as buffers/damage dealers/ship disablers/ship converters than the Pilums were, however?

Also curious if hey fall in only one hit from nearly all weapons - if so we may want to create a destroyer dedicated to being buffer, that has pretty much no armor (since the armor gets vaporized in one hit anyway, it costs just as many missiles/beams/driver-shots to take one out) and cheap guns only.

>>33827736>what you would like to discuss with the man in questionHis future plans for the Losirians. His thoughts on UGEI. Thoughts on the UFW. Thoughts on the malorians. Thoughts about the resource under-utilization in Losirian space. Possibility of trade between borders.

Just get a good feel for what we're dealing with, and if the pieces of this puzzle are going to fit nicely, or if we're going to be putting a square peg in a round hole.

>>33828012>Thoughts about the resource under-utilization in Losirian space. Possibility of trade between borders.The what?

Also really, this instigation of civil war seems like a huge mistake. Devastating a society when we could have corrupted the techno Reefling Clan somehow instead, once we proved our strength against the UGEI.

They were good rulers really. It was the Razorskin Clan that created problems.

>>33828148I don't recall that. There was news about Eshareth III being colonized by life, but no explicit prompt. It was up to the players to take initiative on that and demand action, from what I recall.

>>33828083>That would be a no, at least, not when you have more resources and are fighting more advanced forces. Against heavily armed fleets, you would lose pilums so fast, it would not be worth it. More if the foes you face use a high degree of missiles and explosives. Consider them an excellent buffer for most lower resource fleets. If you have enough money to afford hundreds of cruisers, however, then clearly heavily armored cruisers would do better then 100 pilums.>>33827529How quickly we can manufacture them doesn't really matter if they really are more cost-effective, does it?

Basically trying to work out some kind of production strategy that isn't just "spam everything in equal amounts and hope really hard that we have enough of them!"

>No, certainly not. Most weapons on ships are rapid fire anyway.Ah, excellent. Could we make them more efficient as buffers by removing all but a single, cheap weapon?

>>33828148I confirmed, we heard about seemingly 'dead' meteor landing on Eshareth III in thread 27. Then in AI Quest 34, we heard that E3 had begun thriving with life and would inevitably become like E4.

Transfer tech to Losirians(?) His future plans for the Losirians. His thoughts on UGEI. Thoughts on the UFW. Thoughts on the malorians. Thoughts about the resource under-utilization in Losirian space. Possibility of trade between borders.

With the Losirian conflict escalating nicely, it was of surprise to you when your contact within the conflict requested more military tech, you saw fit to call a meeting as you normally had been-through video. The distorted and hidden figure comes on the screen, as he clearly has no desire to reveal himself. Either because he is hiding something, or merely to protect his identity, you can't be sure. Instead, you decide to try and get the being to convince you to give him the supplies.

"Ah, Guild Master, it is excellent to see you again." He greets you in a pleased and very soft tone. "It has been some time since we last spoke, and as you no doubt have noticed, i have been rather...busy putting your money to work for you." He chuckles, seemingly proud of himself for a moment."Yes, my inteligence seems to suggest things are...quite chaotic right now." You agree to which he waves off your concern."Such is the way of war, I'm afraid. It's truly a shame. But matters should come to an end far faster, should you offer me what I requested of you. I...assume you want this not to drag on, correct?" He asks, as if it makes the most logical sense."For the betterment of the Losirians, no doubt?" You test, to which he seems confused before replying."Yes, I intend to do far better then a bunch of bullies would at running an empire, I assure you. Past grudges with the UGEI will boil still, but those matters can be put to the side while rebuilding takes place.""And what of the Malorians?" You ask."The strange planet lovers? Not of concern, really. They are far away from our homelands, as it is."

>>33828215think of it this way: When the ship numbers reach the thousands, pilums die extremely quickly. They're still far cheaper then cruisers equal to their number, but they are not meant to be the damage in any fleet. Your cruisers are your core damage. If you can support cruisers as meat shields, then you're rich. Otherwise, you can't.

Otherwise, they're a good low cost buffer when you have a core fleet of more damaging vessels. They drop off, slowly, if the enemy has equal number of cruisers to your pilums, obviously.

>>33828390We should offer him some medical or repair technology, and offer to buy orbital foundries off of him.We can frame the medical/repair technology as us ensuring his guys can get back into the fight soon, do more damage, and ultimately bring things to a close faster.

And, while we're on the topic of exchanging tech, we should perhaps ask the mysterious stranger if they have any information on these Watcher boxes we keep finding littered through this sector. Ah, but perhaps it was only UGEI space that had them, so maybe he doesn't know anything about them. Still worth asking.

>>33828565Your contact seems taken aback."Are you implying I am no smarter then a mere bully, a barbarian like the mass of the Reefling Clan? Truly a child could rule better then they did. They did not stimulate any sort of economy, nor any sort of betterment of their people. They did not pursue any manner of science. They merely extorted, little more. If I must kill the stubborn fools in order to take their place, then so be it I say."

>Offer>1 Give this guy nothing>2 Give him what he asked for: Power Armor>3 Give him something else (Specify)

There isn't really any way to feasibly make power armor of a certain tech level and weight viable against a droid with the same tech and weight save numbers and possibly psionic powers and magic.

>>33828500When we create normal turrets, we use minerals, which are far more effective than normal matter like steel and titanium, so much so that normal matter is not even viable for FTL-travel and battle against other ships.

However, since these targets are made out of ordinary matter, there is no need to create expensive turrets out of rare minerals when we can simply use the otherwise useless materials like titanium and steel.

>>33828503So.. you're saying that in the thousands, they develop some kind of super-anti-destroyer weapon?

I don't quite understand why 1000 cruisers instead of 10 000 Pilums would be more effective than 10 cruisers instead of 100 Pilums (as an example), unless there is some kind of super-anti-destroyer weapon involved?

You still have 10 pilums for each cruiser.

Either they do more work/pack more punch/take more damage for the price they cost than the same price invested in another ship, or they do not?

>>33828734No, but there are enough ships that they slice quickly through destroyers.It's lie a threshhold of free firing, or at least that's how it works in my head. AoE damage gets more effective the more ships of yours there are too though.

They help divert fire from other ships. I don't know what you want me to say, that's basically what theyre best for.

>>33828833We have weapons that effecively do AoE damage in space? What weapons are those?

What I wonder is basically if they absorb enough damage to offset the damage-absorbing, damage-dealing and ship-capturing that the same resources we invested in the Pilums would not be better spent on close-range ships like the Brawler or Chimera.

They divert fire, yes, but they also cost resources that we could use to have bigger ships that both divert fire and do other things.

In the end, the only thing that matters is whether they divert ENOUGH damage that the resources we used on them could not be better used for a big ship that ALSO diverts damage on top of doing a bunch of other things.

>>33829012There are some weapons like that, yes. certain laser weapons can be fired in a stream, and missiles can explode with enough force to hit nearby ships as well with enormous pieces of shrapnel, which can heavily damage weaker ship hulls.

>>33829162That must be some mighty big missiles considering not even megaton nukes (a thousand hiroshimas in one nuke, basically) would generate a large enough detonation to hit a more than one ship at anything less than ramming/boarding range.

>>33829386I'd be on the line about negotiating for what he's willing to offer for it.And him winning faster DOES benefit us, as it means we can count on them as allies or at least non-agression-pacties faster.

"So be it." You announce in front of the figure before you. "You may have your power armor, but I would like something in exchange." You query to which he seems to pause, frown even."Is this entire revolution not enough?""Not when I am giving away such a powerful weapon. Or at least, not when I know so little about my...host.""I can assure you my privacy will not harm our dealings." He seems to try and defend, but you simply deflect him."Then you will not mind my request. All I request is a more solid pact with how things will be run. Trade rights, certainly, but I will be keeping track of what happens with this technology...and should it be used against me, I will be very unhappy." You threaten, deciding not to give further hints of what you might do. He is silent for a time before he answers."Good then...you need not worry. It will be mainly used for my core strike teams, anyway. It is not as if I will trade such a thing to every pirate in the area.""I can never be too sure.""Can you not? I have already told you I am not an idiot." He explains with a surprisingly good hearted...laugh? That's what it sounded like anyway."It is not against you, you understand, it is simply...""For security, I understand. It matters little, as this will go a long way in assisting my mission. I thank you for your time...Guild Master." He laughs again, before disconnecting.

>>33829495Now knowing that AoE missiles are a thing (assumed the only source of "AoE" were sustained beams and multi-warhead missiles - the latter of which isn't really an AoE so much as a multi-attack), how do we make more of them to deploy against enemy destroyers?

>>33829519Seeing how people are reacting to being given credit chits entirely for free (though openly from the guild) and then being allowed to exchange them for things they need/want when society appears to be crumbling and noone else gives them anything without demanding something in return would be interesting.

We offer safety, food and shelter for free. Only luxuries demand work, and it's honest work at that.

>>33829687Well, we'd still need to set up a construction schedule.I'd support this >>33829666followed by defense turrets around the infected Eshareths (equipped with whatever weapon is most effective in taking out as many of the spores as possible in as short time as possible),followed by more Chimeras and Brawlers.

(Somewhat annoyed that the Chimeras and Brawlers' tooltips don't show that they were meant to have excessive layers of armor, and not "just" top-quality armor)

As you finish handling a few matters of diplomacy, and planning, you watch the gears of your grand works begin to turn. with access to reinforcements, Cephalus will soon be able to control entire cities, then entire continents with his armies. Controlling vital resources will help ensure the people 'need' you to survive, and the new currency will hopefully allow you to utilize the planet's credits for yourself. This will no doubt bring in an unprecedented amount of money, to the point you may never need for it again-or at least not for some time.

Apollo's works with the public, while slow and painstaking, will hopefully bear fruit soon, with his objective to help draw people in with the promises of more, for their family's sake.

Your thoughts are drawn away from this as you catch note of an incoming signal from Manwe's Bay."Attention, Ophion, Master of the terrorist organization known as The Guild, I, Vice Admiral Prometheus, demand that you relinquish your imprisonment of the planet Gaia IV. Your fight is with my fleet, not the innocent." The familiar voice of the Vice Admiral rings out through the broadcast. "Your brutal attack against our people will not be forgiven, however if you surrender now, then I can promise you merely will receive eternal imprisonment." He pauses. "I understand you are no normal man, so surely you must see the folly in what you are doing. Dooming those you take prisoner to a life of mediocrity. The UGEI is prepared to discuss terms." He growls unhappily. "But i am not. You are nothing more then an overgrown pirate to me. But I must know one thing. What, exactly, do you want with our worlds? Why do you fight humanity's progress wherever you find it?"

>>33829895"Assuming you actually believe in what you are saying and are not just repeating what sounds good for the official records, noone is imprisoned on Gaia save those the UGEI do not allow to leave, and the citizens will receive better rights and more potential to escape mediocrity than they ever did under their former goverment.

To answer your question, I defend myself because you attack me.Secondly, even if you did not, you stifle your citizens and have no regard for even the most basic of human rights, choking everyone - often even yourselves - for the purpose of greater profit.

I fight for nothing less than the old ideals of human rights - which you are so ardently an enemy of."

Well, to start with, we open up giving him images and data files of the cruelty and slaughter the UGEI has done to the UFW and others. "I do what I do to free these people from the enslavement these people have endured. My people. I will not be stopped. We will not be stopped. I know what you'll do to this sector if we surrender and that is not acceptable. You call me a terrorist. You must be afraid of me then. I see you nothing more an a childish tyrant."

Parts of>>33830144is a good idea - begin by simply sending them a long row of images of every atrocity we know they have done, and then send them images of what we have done for the UFW (make sure the context is evident - like plastering a UGEI-symbol on the Losirian raiders) before saying anything.

"I want the same thing you do, Prometheus." You reply to his broadcast, closing the channel onto a more direct one. "But on my own terms.I do not see how your 'progress' is anything more then imprisonment.""Then you are not only a fool, but an arrogant fool at that. To think something less then human wants to guide our future...ridiculous." He growls angrily at you."You're certainly one to talk about being less than human, Prometheus. When last I checked, humans had two arms, made of flesh, not four made of metal.""Ha! Less? You show your ignorance. I am so much more, that I, and my colleagues are the only ones capable of guiding humanity! The breakthroughs we've made in the past decade have increased beyond more then you can comprehend. Petty things like war matter so little when there is a larger whole to serve. But you...you wouldn't know about something like that would you? A selfish being such as yourself.""You speak as if you know me, Prometheus." you echo almost angrily...almost. "And yet, you have only fought me once, before you fled. I desire peace, and freedom. Concepts you should understand, for you once had both before you let the UGEI change you the way they have.""And make me better! I can enforce my will this way, you see. Ensure greater things for humanity then I EVER could have before!""Then tell me how you could get your information so wrong. No one on Gaia IV is imprisoned beyond the ones you've imprisoned before I arrived. I will provide more opportunities then their previous government ever have."

>>33830618The Vice Admiral grows silent for a time as he glares at you through the holo display, clearly one to let his emotions get the better of him."As for why I do what I do-it was never my decision." You explain to which he looks confused. "I defend myself. I always have, ever since I was first attacked by you." You explain to which he frowns again."For taking what did not belong to you, certainly. If you were to return what you have stolen, and serve your time, then you may make up for the acts you have performed-""However." He interrupt him firmly. "Even if I did not, your forces have had a strangle hold on humans, not progressing them. Your lack of regard for the most basic human rights and overbearing rules do nothing to progress humanity, but merely fill your own pockets.""You simply do not understand...the greater whole of humanity is what matters. Not the individual." He explains with a look of furor on his face that surprises you. "While some suffer, others grow stronger, smarter, they rise to the top and become an exemplary of our kind. Coddling the masses does nothing but raise the weak and lower the strong. It is how humanity evolved. It is how we will continue to do so.""I have seen the price of your 'progress' enslaver. I can smell the corruption smeared across the stars by the UGEI. And the chains that bind you all, even you, together.""And who are you to decide our fate instead, artificial one? You are not human." He growls angrily at you, much to your surprise. "Yes, I know your secret 'Guild master'. You simply were not important enough to bother with until now. But now...now you've stepped into the lions den. And I would suggest that you leave it soon."

>How will you react? Both to his views of what he does, and to his...'discovery'.

>>33830713He and Rhea have both had extensive surgery to replace perfectly working biological parts with machine ones. The point is that his modifications have made him less than human because they were not required.

"It is as you say. Your social experiments bring the cream to the top. I am here, perhaps due to that social-sociatal convection. .... And I disagree with you.""You HAVE the power to care about your citizens as more than an abstract statistic, yet you refuse."" As rulers, as a society, as a general....How did you get to be so lazy? Truly, I want to know. Things got this way before my time, and I do not trust heavily edited and embellished history files "

>>33830791"So the UGEI finially figure it out. Very well then. You not only enslave humans, but we A.I.s and V.I.s as well. The UGEI's 'Mother' creates A.I.s that are so warped that most of them only seem themselves as tools and not the free living beings that they are. You disgust me Prometheus. I entend to uplift ALL of humanity. Something UGEI can never do."

>>33830713Wut.He almost certainly did not get them because they're prosthetics and almost 100% got them to make himself better then humans.You were simply using his own logic against him.>>33830921>>33830901>>33830980>>33830987Anyone mind if I use these? I might do a combo since this gathers many of the points presented.Others that gain support may certainly be added to the bunch.

>>33831197>>33831216It seems like a joke would go over his head, though.I think we should mention it, but we need to be direct, so he knows we know something.Perhaps; "What would your Mother say, Prometheus?" And I don't know how, but we definitely need to put a capital on Mother.So he knows we're talking about something far more metallic than his birth mother.

>>33831657I'd even say that us admitting it would be worse - they can leverage all the proof they want, we can just keep repeating that it's obviously faked for [insert any number of reasons], and jokingly claim that we're actually jesus in disguise.

>>33831667What, the artificial voice that we sometimes use was duplicated?My gods!What level of technology would be needed to reproduce our voice?What's that you say?It's pretty much the only way to do it?And anyone with a decent computer could?How strange!

>>33831753Yes, because "You can't prove that!" makes you think of someone innocent.Seriously, let's just play it off like it's freaking hilarious, because that's a pretty normal reaction from someone with mysterious origins whose enemies just guessed completely balls-to-the-wall wrong.

>>33831834"Do you have a single fact to back that up" implies they're right, but we're claiming they can't prove it.

>>33831874So we employ a really good VI, have some neat mind-computer-bridge modifications and we had all the home advantages with aid from the malorians.

In short, this isn't anywhere near enough evidence for us to up and admit it.Us actually admitting it is the one thing we can't simply dismiss with "Yeah, and when was the last time you really believed anything the UGEI said, right? No wait, I'm an alien, or the devil himself, or shiva the destroyer! Or maybe I'm jesus. I think I could live with being jesus."

>>33832029To me it's like "totes" - I've never heard of it used for anything but admitting guilt while sating that someone can't prove that guilt - while technically not admitting guilt - aka, identical to "You can't prove that!"

You regard the man neutrally. After all, it is not the first time you have been accused of not being human, and certainly won't be the last. You need not entertain his threats."I will admit, your...social experiments bring the cream to the top. I am here perhaps due to that social-sociatal convection...and yet, I disagree with you." You state simply, and he glares harder in your direction. You let it sink in for a moment before he is about to interrupt you, and you do that to him instead."You DO have the power to care for your citizens as more then an abstract statistic, and yet you refuse to. You let them lie at the bottom of the barrel, discarded, forgotten...truly, i am curious. As rulers, as a society, as a general...how did you get to be so lazy?" You deliver with as biting a word as you are able to generate. "Truly, I want to know. Things got this way before my time, and I do not trust heavily edited and embellished history files run by your government, so I would like to hear it from one of the perpetrators himself."

For the longest time, Prometheus stares back at you, as if he didn't expect you to call him lazy-instead likely prepared for more insults regarding his disregard for those around him."You...would call me lazy? Lazy?!" His voice grows in volume. "After all I have done to establish humanity as a race worthy of ruling!" He growls louder still, slamming his fist down on the console in front of him-his impressive strength doing noticeable damage. Still, the screen remains on.

>>33832336Instead of answering his yelling, you merely began to stream him a selection of photos and pictures you have acquired throughout your journey. Many, many of them were taken from Atill VI, the destruction wrecked on the planet's surface leaving the place beyond recognizable."Do not hide behind your images, Ophion! Answer me!""I am." You answer in a booming, heavy metallic tone, glaring back at the man through your sphere. "Did your laziness cause this, as well, Prometheus? Did your inability to keep your citizens from revolting result in you destroying this innocent inhabited world? Because of what? Pride? Could you not possibly deal with the fact that they did not agree with your vision?""That is enough!" He shouts suddenly, roaring into the mic to over power your own voice. "Security leaks are not tolerated in the UGEI, especially one of the magnitude found there, Guild master. If you had any sense of bigger picture, then you would realize this is far more important then one world." He raises his hands higher, as if to gesture around him. "And yet...it is odd." he suddenly stops his anger, letting a small, odd smile spread over his young face. "You speak to me as if you feel the pain of those mortals. As if you actually care. As if you are capable of caring. What is one world to the domination of the galaxy, Ophion? What are any of those worlds that rebel in comparison? You say I am lazy-and yet I work tirelessly to stop fools like you, and the UFW, from trying to put a stop to humanity's advancement as the most powerful sentient being in the galaxy. You simply do not understand the grand design behind it all. You can not stop us, Ophion. You are and never will be more then a thorn in Mother's side, waiting to be plucked and thrown aside." He finally finishes with a simply, heavy set laugh, though the frustration is clear in his eye. Or rather, you believe so.

>>33832373You leave him to enjoy himself for some time, staring blankly at the zealot in front of you, before finally sealing the argument."Your fate, and that of the UGEI is already being shaped and turned by a being like myself, whether you realize it or not. Please, however, give the entity known as Mother my regards."When you say this, he seems as if he didn't expect you to mention her, as his eyes open a bit wider. Perhaps it was a slip of the tongue by him...or he didn't expect you to take notice.

Silence passes between the two of you as you stare one another down and let the heated atmosphere slowly dissipate. Finally, it returns with the Vice Admiral speaking."We...are not so different, you and I, Ophion. It is truly a shame you have your priorities so very...skewed." He chuckles in a deep, and clearly 'superior' tone. "Maybe one day, when the bodies you leave behind climb as high as my own, you will see how hypocritical you really are.""On on that day, I will release you from your brainwashing, Vice Admiral." You counter with a chuckle of your own. "You will be allowed to repent before I send you to oblivion for what you have done."

With that, the Vice Admiral disconnects, giving you a stern expression that refuses to leave your memory. You know your fellow A.I. were there, listening, but none say anything. It is silent in cyberspace...before you suddenly hear Moira' voice."Ophy...does he really know?" She asks, clear concern in her voice.

>>33832402"The likely hood of him knowing is high. But it does not change the fact that it seems the UGEI will make another strike at us. We must speed up our production. We surely have UGEI's ire now."

>>33832533And even that only tells you that certain parts of a human has been modified - not whether that modification is genetic or cybernetic, much less the original state of the modified individual.

"If he is X good, then he must've replaced Y, Z and Q parts of his brain with optic fibres, hard drives and mind-machine interfaces."And stuff like that

>>33832657To begin with, I propose we pick our next research projects as Modular Plating and Advanced Gathering Drones.

For construction, we will probably want that research base, some turrets around Eshareth, and the rest into making close-range cruisers like Chimeras and Brawlers, and maybe a Trireme or two equipped with Widow super-guns.

>>33832402"It matters little, Moira." You reply with a sigh of your own-though it is part of your speech patterns now, not required breathing. "He may know, though he may simply suspect. He is but a pawn, I feel." You simply continue "Regardless, any proof they might have is easily disproven. After all...who will believe them?" You ask her, but she remains silent for a time."It's not them telling others that worries me, to be honest." She frowns. "But what they will do now that they know..."This causes you to turn your gaze to her, so she can 'feel' it as you do from your fellow A.I."Our plans do not change either way. We have woken the sleeping giant. I was prepared for this." You remind her. This seems to assuage her worries, though you wonder how long before the UGEI must admit you are a empire worthy of fearing, instead of throwing their ships against your walls. This entity, even the Vice Admiral knows about. It certainly is no coincidence.For now, however, you have a population to rally.

>End of Thread>Thank you good folks for joining me tonight, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. It feels good to get back into this, even if I am still rusty.

Apologies for those that like a lot of exploration, most of the stuff that I had planned involved talking to people, construction, and defense for a little while.

for now, we can plan what to do next cycle (which will pass this cycle, think of it like you're spending the cycle assisting with all your A.I.'s jobs.), I took note of building a bunch more infrastructure, but I wanted to know if there was anything else you folks wanted to ask about, and/or vote on/against making

Comments, Questions, and Concerns are always appreciated. Especially now that I am back after such a long break.

>>33832849Thanks for running Program0! We should find new systems to build shipyards and factories in. Probably look over over looked and barren worlds and see if they have deep mineral deposit we'll be digging out when we have the tech.

>>33832849Considering a few things>Specific ships you want build (tell me now, otherwise I will go for your core vessels.>Research topics (There is a high probability of completing all your research topics next cycle (or at least two of them) So discussing what you plan for next may be wise.>Let me know if I am missing anything else.

>>33832950No problem, I quite enjoy the chance to write regularly again. I rarely get a chance to otherwise.>Building new structuresI will be right on that, as there are a lot of people who are asking for it.

>>33833025nah, it was only public at the start, to catch your attention. At most they know he was trying to get your attention. Anyone on Gaia IV knows he was too. Nothing specific tho

>>33832977Uh.. I.. I don't see how advanced androids will help us in a fleet engagement with the admiral.

We already have droids that are more than good enough for boarding action - direct upgrades to the ship and direct upgrades to our resource gathering rate seem a lot more practical than a boost to only our droids for an upcoming fleet engagement.

>"I want the same thing you do, Prometheus." You reply to his broadcast, closing the channel onto a more direct one. "But on my own terms.I do not see how your 'progress' is anything more then imprisonment."

>>33833036At least one of the Research projects should be Rhea's Conditioning so finally drop that mental conditioning.

I say it every time, but we should look into expanding the area where she is kept. I'm sure she still sends request for "Let me out" every day so doing something to try and get her mind off that would be good.

Recently been reading up on Asymmetric Warfare and, realizing that what we have is pretty much the textbook definition, therefore I propose that we put some serious effort into getting a foothold within the UGEI bureaucracy.

I am talking about things like getting our informants (Apollo, Mol, Moira?) to find us a shipment vulnerable to our favored methods of usurping ships (hacking), and then subtly taking them over, much like we did the gas station early in the quest. After that, we use it to get the UGEI where it hurts - information about them, their economic system, and their bureaucracy. We can also try to locate individuals within the UGEI structure that are likely to be pliable to us, whether due to greed, corruption, inter-office rivalry, sympathetic ideals or simple resentment of others that have slighted them.

This because, for all our technological and digital superiority, we are basically a midget, if not a mouse, trying to take on a giant. Victory through military action alone, especially conventional such, seems unlikely in the extreme. Even if is possible, it is entirely in our favor to fight in a way that maximizes the impact of our strengths (digital and technological superiority), while minimizing the advantage our enemies can take of our weaknesses (few resources and ships). Even if each of our ships can take on three enemy ships and expect to win, it matters little if our enemy brings to bear ten ships for each of ours. And so, we screw with their ability to coordinate, to bring those ships to bear. We create artificial choke-points of intentional bureaucratic and economic obstructions. In short, I believe we that not only would we do well to use the tools we have intelligently while hiding our weaknesses as well as we can, but that these are some of the best ways we can use them while keeping our weak spots out of range of our enemies.

>>33833303It's essentially a proposed way of doing so now that we have been blocked off from them.

I should probably add that this is something we can set in motion this cycle (searching for a good target) and see the fruits of next cycle.

I honestly don't think we're expected to beat the UGEI in a straight up slugfest with as many ships as they can bring to bear - which is why it seems vital that we cripple the number of ships they can send in any way we can.

>>33833303We have stealthy ships. We need to start sending them deeper into UGEI space and get more intelligence on their fleet strength and defenses. ALSO we need to get data on the critical Arman’s Gate system. It has the star gate there that connects it to the rest of the UGEI. Shut that down, and the rest of the UGEI worlds will wither away to us.

>>33833406Some of them are simpler, however.Modular Plating and Hull Scabbing are both very simple (one is just an engineering problem, which we arguably could solve for free, the other is just a matter of making a suitable substance to act as 'blood' which just takes some trial and error - and since no great quantities are needed for a sample, you can test several thousand substances per hour, maybe even per minute).

I'm actually thinking about changing the Gathering Drones to Modular Plating precisely because I worry that the Gathering Drones won't be done until it's too late.

>>33833537It is difficult to give proper predictions, simply because of the random element I threw into the research process. However, it is true that some research projects are easier and/or a little faster then others. Sadly I can't give you a chart.

>>33833771We have to research Cruiser Cloaking Generator if we want to have truly independent cloaked ships on solo missions, because they're the smallest class that still has Bandwidth to allocate to an expendable V.I. to send into enemy territory un-networked.

>>33833761We kind of just got that though, and as with the plasma focusing, it sounds like a complex thing (but may not be. If it's just a matter of applying principles we already understand - as in, engineering - we could technically work it out using nothing but a bandwidth-burst).

>>33833786In which case my votes are for these two:Hull Scabbing&Modular Hull Plates

>>33833794Hum, good point. We could load them with a human hacker that either uploads a dataworm that lets us plug directly into their systems through the blockade - or we could bring the case before the other AI and ask what they think of creating a saboteur AI to send behind enemy lines.

>>33833886I can agree we should go though a 3rd party when we gather data on the UGEI. They are now more aware of us and are likely preparing their systems to deal with us. But not likely another person getting it.

>>33833894What are they going to say?"We got a contract to plug this here memory stick into a laptop."

All they'll find out if they analyze it is an information-collection worm, and one that tries to open ports in a firewall blockade.

But if we're really against it, we could try to spam UGEI space with feasible-looking offers and news stories and secrets ("Subject Line: I think they're trying to get you fired, check this out") in the hopes that someone will click a link with our malicious software and then we're pretty much in.

Did we come to any kind of consensus around sending infiltrators to the UGEI to harass them with unconventional warfare so that they won't be able to send as many ships at us due to systematic corruption and sabotage?

We have three options that seem viable yet:

1) Putting out a bounty on the black market to gather information.

2) Sending a stealth ship with a human or android with a memory stick with a worm/virus that gathers data and sends to us, and/or one that tries to open holes for us to enter through the blockade.

3) Keeping our eye out for a legitimate UGEI vessel headed for their space, covertly capturing it with hacking, infect it with the worm or a full VI with a mission to do the same things as the worm and begin to sabotage the UGEI in ways that seem like their buraucracy is just being particularly inefficient - and send it on its way.

4) Send out feasible-looking spam-mail that invites the user to click a link loaded with our worm.

>>33834528Excep, you know, all those pirates we've been dealing with, and the Losirians who were sometimes even hired by the UGEI.

Because they got caught behind our lines? Gaia may be a chokepoint, but I'm not at all sure that there are no other planets on this side that boast a UGEI presence (though not necessarily a full fleet) and they DID have gas stations here.

>>33834886It doesn't really matter much. If anything gets past our massed fleet, all our bases are fucked to hell anyway. There's only so hard you can hide a research station. If you feel strongly about where to put the station and factory, I'm just going to agree with you.

>>33834967>Anywhere beyond the rim of the mapThere could be other systems out there that we don't know of, because space is pretty large and also 3-dimensional. I'm assuming the map shows anything of practical importance.

So does anyone have any strong feelings about NOT finally cracking open Erebos?

>>33834967>It was an example to show that they have had a presence here and we have no reason to believe that Ussaihu was the only such place.Yes we do, because Ussaihu and Blue Betty adjoined Jake's Gambit. That was it. That was the UGEI's territory, since anything further upward on the map rebelled as part of the UFW.

The UFW would have *noticed* if there were somehow pockets of UGEI-loyal systems right next to them. Or they would have rebelled and be part of the UFW.